We are joining Blue Wave Postcard Movement to ask people in Montana to register to vote. Montana is a crucial state in this election year, with the US Senate and US House majorities hanging in the balance. Additionally, the state supreme court is also at stake. The decisions made in Montana will have a profound impact on the future of our democracy and women’s reproductive rights, not only within the state but across the nation.
Despite its significance, tens of thousands of Montanans remain unregistered to vote. Registering voters and encouraging them to sign up for mail-in voting are two of the most effective actions you can take in the early months of this election year.
Mail as you write and finish by April 30.
This campaign includes address labels and five words of writing:
Please Register and Vote! (Your first Name)
Packets include –25 cards, stamps, address labels, and directions for $15 -email Christine@IndivisibleActon.org for pick up and payment instructions
Private jet emissions at Hanscom alone already cancel nearly 50% of climate gains from all solar PV ever installed in Massachusetts. An expansion of any size would produce even further setbacks that our state – and climate – cannot afford.
There are three incumbent Democrats in Nevada that we are watching. Cook Political rates these as Lean Democratic or Likely Democratic. This means that we have an advantage in these races right now, but that may change after the June primary. We can help remind voters what these Democratic Representatives have accomplished and counter any MAGA disinformation.
Dina Titus (NV-01) has an impressive biography and has been an important representative for environmental and women’s rights, housing and education. She is currently serving on the transportation and infrastructure committee. Cook Political rates this race as Likely Democratic.
Susie Lee (NV-03)has served since 2019. In Congress, her passions are: improving our education system, honoring our promise to veterans, and tackling rising health care costs. She serves as Vice Chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, and has been ranked the #1 bipartisan representative. Cook Political rates this race as Lean Democratic.
Steven Horsford (NV-04) has served since 2019. His passion is working for economic initiatives to expand job training and apprenticeship programs. He is a champion of democratic causes: environment, heathcare, housing, Unions and Women’s rights. Cook Political rates this race as Likely Democratic.
We are joining Activate America to write in support of the re-election of 3 Democratic members of Congress doing great work to support families in Nevada: Dina Titus, Steven Horsford, and Susie Lee. Let’s make sure infrequent voters know about their support for unions and bringing in funds to build more affordable housing. Defending these seats is crucial for flipping the House!
Please mail these postcards as you complete them and within 3-4 weeks.
SCRIPT TO BE HANDWRITTEN ON POSTCARDS for all three candidates.
Dear [voter’s first name],
Democratic Congress{woman or man} {first and last name} stands with unions and workers. {S}he has brought millions of federal dollars to NV to fund construction of affordable housing.
Let’s re-elect {last name} in 2024!
Thanks, [Your first name], Volunteer
Packets include –25 cards, stamps, addresses, and directions for $15 -email Christine@IndivisibleActon.org for pick up and payment instructions
PICK UP IN Littleton
Or Saturdays at KJ’s Caffe – email Linda@IndivisibleActon.org for questions or rsvp.
We are joining Blue Wave to register voters in Nevada. Nevada is a crucial state in this election year, with the Presidential election, the US Senate majority and the US House majority all hanging in the balance. The decisions made in Nevada will have a profound impact on the future of our democracy and women’s reproductive rights, not only within the state but across the nation.
Despite its significance, hundreds of thousands of Nevadans remain unregistered to vote.
We urge you to join us in registering voters to ensure that underrepresented, pro-democracy citizens in Nevada are empowered to participate in the upcoming elections.
Registering voters is the most effective action you can take in the early months of the election year.
Nevada is a universal mail-in ballot state, which means that every registered voter will receive ballots at home. By registering to vote now, they will not only receive ballots for the upcoming primary election, but also for the general election in November. This presents a unique opportunity to expand the electorate in Nevada and make an immediate and critical impact for November’s election.
Mail as you write and finish by the end of April.
Project Details:
Packets – Packets include 20 cards with preprinted address labels, stamps, and instructions.
Cost – Packets cost $13.
Pick-up – at Barbara’s house
Note: Barbara already has 4,600 cards reserved. Westford is also doing this project, email Christine@IndivisibleActon.org if you can pick up in Westford.
Nevada, an important swing state in 2024, has a history of low voter turnout. Due to economic and work forces, Nevada has long had a highly transient population. Now it is one of the fastest growing states, with a large influx that is being driven by low taxes and inexpensive housing. As a result, many Nevada residents have no history of ever voting in the state.
The stakes in 2024 are high for Nevada – the state is at high risk of flipping from Blue to Red in November. Democrat Jacky Rosen is running for re-election as are the three Democratic House representatives. All of these Congressional seats are considered vulnerable, with Rosen as one of the most endangered Democratic Senate incumbents in the country. A good turnout in the November election is critical to keep these seats from flipping.
Our featured postcard project for April addresses the serious problem of low voter activity in Nevada by registering new voters. Nevada is a universal mail-in ballot state, which means that every registered voter receives ballots at home. By registering to vote now, Nevadans will not only receive ballots for the upcoming primary election, but also for the general election in November. Mail-in ballots are known to increase voting, so voter registration in Nevada offers a unique opportunity to expand the voter pool and make a significant impact on November’s election.
It seems that the MAGA takeover of the Republican party is nearly complete. The vicious infighting is driving more early retirements – Representatives are leaving immediately, not just declining to run for re-election (although there are plenty of those too). Bill Johnson (R-OH) and Ken Buck (R-CO) led the departures, and now Mike Gallagher (R-WI) will leave on April 19, a date chosen to prevent a special election and leave the seat open. This reduces the Republican majority in the House to one – they can lose one vote and still have the majority. Rep. Buck has hinted that two more resignations may come.
It is still unlikely that the majority will flip to Democrats though. Democrats are expected to win a safe seat vacated by Brian Higgens in NY’s April special election. But three Republican vacancies will be filled by special elections in the coming months: Kevin McCarthy in California, Bill Johnson of Ohio and Ken Buck of Colorado. These are all safe Republican seats.
Focus on California Activate America has just announced a new campaign for Adam Gray (CA-13). The Republican incumbent won by only 564 votes in 2022. This seat seems eminently flippable. Why write for this race? Well, various articles have recently pinpointed a serious problem in our electorate – only about 15% are paying attention. So we can’t expect any changes to happen by themselves.
Focus on Nevada Activate America is writing to protect incumbent US House Democrats Dina Titus, Steven Horsford, and Susie Lee. This plays well into our nested strategy; while protecting these house seats, we will also garner votes for Senator Jackie Rosen and President Biden in this very purple state. An interesting characteristic of Nevada is that the population changes quickly – so the power of incumbency is less. We need to work to protect these seats.
The path to protecting the senate majority still is very narrow. We must protect Jon Tester (MT), Jacky Rosen (NV), Sherrod Brown (OH), Bob Casey (PA) and Tammy Baldwin (WI). We must win the two open seats for Democrats Ruben Gallego (AZ) and Elissa Slotkin (MI). Even without a majority in the House, the value of the Senate majority is priceless: Judicial confirmations, Cabinet confirmations, and protections from fraudulent MAGA impeachments.
Some other possibilities have been in the news lately.
Maryland Senate Race Republican Larry Hogan has entered the senate race in Maryland. Democrats will choose their candidate in the primary on May 14th. While Cook Political rates this race as “likely Democrat,” Hogan is a popular moderate with good name recognition. Early polls show him in the lead. However the same poll also shows that Marylanders prefer Democratic control of the Senate. We need to watch this one closely.
Although not up for re-election until 2028, Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) recently said that she will not vote for Trump and teased the possibility of leaving the Republican party. She has a good track record of fighting against radicals – in 2010 she won as a write-in candidate after a primary loss to a Tea Party candidate. Could she help us retain the majority? Too early to tell, but fun to imagine.
I completely agree with Barbara’s Game Plan! This is definitely the core strategy for winning 2024. And, make no mistake, we must win to save our democracy. Turn Purple 2 Blue Groups have already sent over 22,000 postcards with these goals, and I hope we get to 100,000!
But if you have some bandwidth to devote to protecting Democrats in other states and working for the future, there is valuable work to be done. People have special interests in different states – maybe you lived there for a time, or you have family there. People have special interests in different topics, too – maybe you will write for any school board or any abortion rights initiative. There’s a huge community of postcard writers passionately writing for local or other races that could bring up-ballot votes to win the Presidency, Senate, and House. It’s good to focus on what you are passionate about, and we can’t all work on the same thing.
I attended a Postcards for Democracy Zoom this week and found a wonderful group of people writing for local races and states that are not getting the full battleground treatment this year. From school boards to statehouses, the results of these races affect the daily lives of Americans, and we need to support democracy at every level. Bonus: by supporting these races today, we build an infrastructure and support system for the future, even if we don’t win. One thing we have definitely learned is that it takes years of concentrated effort to take back the gerrymandered statehouses. This is where we start.
An easy place to begin is Postcards to Voters. This organization is fantastic – and unique in that it is set up for individual writers to easily get addresses for postcards that must be sent within three days. You can get as few as four addresses and as many as 50 at a time. They are very strict about the three-day mailing time, so it’s better to request a smaller amount. If this interests you, you could budget some of your postcarding efforts here. I can help you get blank postcards at a much lower rate than Amazon, just email me at Christine@IndivisibleActon.org for details. You would be responsible for requesting the addresses and buying stamps.
Latest success: Alabama’s special election for the statehouse Democrat Marilyn Lands crushed her MAGA opponent by campaigning on reproductive rights. Postcards are ideal for special elections, and Postcards to Voters reports that “Two thousand one hundred sixty Postcards to Voters volunteers wrote 26,361 cards to boost Democratic turnout.”
People ask me all the time about long-shot races – especially when the Republican in office is especially hated (looking at you, Ted Cruz). These races always have a lot of press and a lot of fundraising asks claiming that the challengers are sooooo close! It is true that the demographic changes in red states will eventually benefit us, but we can’t sit back and wait. We need to build awareness, and donations to grassroots groups are essential in these states. Postcards can build solidarity and community among Democrats.
Markers for Democracy is a good source for Unicorn races!
Florida is intriguing this year. We were very disappointed by Val Demmings’ loss in 2022, but this year Debbie Mucarsel-Powell is making a good push against Rick Scott. On April 1st, the Florida State Supreme Court not only allowed the Abortion Rights initiative on the ballot, they greenlighted a 6 week ban. Remember the 6 weeks starts from the first day of your last period – so most women do not even know that they are pregnant. This race is moving out of “Hail Mary” territory.
Texas- talk about a Hail Mary! No Democrat has won a statewide race in Texas in 30 years, although Beto came within 3 points in 2018. Texas is rife with corruption, and they continue to vote for MAGA candidates even after mass shootings, indictments, and deaths from mismanagement of the power grid. You still could consider local races to help protect the Democratic cities of Austin, Dallas, and Houston, which are constantly under attack from the Republican supermajority.
I recently joined a new group called Markers for Democracy, which will give us access to these types of races. With this group, I can provide you with custom packets of addresses, postcards, and stamps. If you are interested, email Christine@IndivisibleActon.org.
For postcard distributors like me, a practical Game Plan for 2024 is essential! In this election year, we have a very specific job to do and only months to do it in – to make sure we (1) keep a Democrat in the White House, (2) hold onto the Senate, and (3) flip the House. If we are unsuccessful with these objectives, it is unlikely that our other goals will be achieved in the coming years. We must make all our actions count.
Planning for this critical year must take into account that political priorities do change by year and election cycle. To quote the popular 1965 Byrds song: ”To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose.” So projects that might be very helpful in one year might not have the same impact in the next. And some types of projects are more critical at some points in the election year: for example, voter registration is more effective earlier in the year than later.
My top goal is to find postcard projects that have both high impact and high effectiveness. Studies show that grassroots activism can have the greatest impact in Toss-up races. So no “Hail Marys” from me, I’m afraid; I’ll be looking for those close races where we are likely to make a real difference with our postcards.
Here are types of projects I will give high priority to in 2024:
VOTING: Voter registration, Vote By Mail (primarily used by Democrats), Get Out the Vote (GOTV), and any other voting information (voting locations, hours, details). This is a top priority issue – a good number of your postcards will translate directly into votes!
ABORTION AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS: Although there are lots of important issues that Democrats are associated with, the one that truly defines us in 2024 is abortion and reproductive freedom. The overwhelming majority of Americans support us on this issue. It will bring us a great many votes, even among voters who do not describe themselves as Democrats. In Florida now, reproductive rights is on the November ballot. It is looking like a similar initiative may be on the ballot in Arizona. Other states are following suit. There is tremendous power here, and the issue is likely to buoy our candidates
CONGRESSIONAL RACES:
For the Senate, We have to protect our majority, so this means protecting Democratic incumbents and flipping Republican seats. Every single Senate seat is important, so I would focus on Toss-up races unless there were other factors, such as abortion, directly influencing the race in certain states.
House – Democrats have a strong chance to flip the Republican’s razor-thin control over the House, but we have to be strategic. Here are two ways to get the most “bang for the buck”:
Employing a “nesting strategy” in states where key House and Senate seats are both in play: increasing turnout for the Senate seat also benefits House and Presidential races in that state. Arizona works well with our nesting strategy, but several other states work as well, including NV and PA.
Focusing on states like NY and CA, where we lost seats that we should have kept in 2022. That year, many Republicans won by very small margins in districts that Biden had carried in 2020. We have begun to reverse these losses (eg Tom Suozzi, NY-03) in 2024, demonstrating the effectiveness of grassroots efforts.
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